This bill modifies existing laws regarding the cremation of deceased individuals and the medical certification of death records. Specifically, it amends RSA 325-A:18, I to remove the requirement that a medical examiner must have "viewed the body" before issuing a certificate for cremation. Instead, the bill stipulates that the medical examiner must conduct an inquiry into the cause and manner of death and issue a certificate without the need for a physical viewing. Additionally, it clarifies that if a body is being transferred out of state for cremation, the medical examiner must conduct an inquiry and issue a certificate prior to the transfer.

Furthermore, the bill updates RSA 5-C:71, I to eliminate the requirement for presenting a burial permit "with the body" to a medical examiner for obtaining the medical examiner's certificate. It also revises RSA 5-C:64, VI to allow for the medical certification of death due to natural causes to be completed by various qualified individuals in the absence of the attending physician, APRN, or physician assistant, while removing the stipulation that the person determining the cause of death must have viewed the deceased within 24 hours after death. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 275:43